23 August 2017•Update: 23 August 2017
By Meryem Goktas
ANKARA
India’s ambassador to Turkey hosted a traditional dance recital in the capital Tuesday as part of celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of India's independence.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the recital, Rahul Kulshreshth welcomed the guests, saying the traditional Kuchipudi dance represents a part of India's rich culture and legacy.
Kuchipudi, one of the eight major Indian classical dances, originated in Kuchipudi village in Andhra Pradesh state. Evidence of this dance form is found in copper inscriptions dating back to the 10th century as well as in 15th century texts.
"The classical Indian dance forms that are centuries old have helped transmit mythological and historical narratives from generation to generation while entertaining audiences," he said.
"With time, the dance style had evolved into cultural expressions and things from social life and experiences.”
Kulshreshth said the main performing dancer, Deepika Reddy -- one of the leading exponents of the Kuchipudi art form -- had performed in Turkey in 2004.
"She is back again after 13 years on this very special occasion, and I hope our Turkish audience here enjoyed the presentation," he said.
"As you have also seen, Deepika Reddy is the guru. She has brought with her a younger generation of dancers whom she has been training, and personally for me, it is extremely heartening that this rich art form is being carried on from one generation to the other."
After her performance, Reddy thanked the audience and presented the seven dancers sharing the stage with her.
Among them were two engineers, a design graduate and three 11th grade students.
Reddy said she has 165 students who represent the Kuchipudi dance around the world.
The dance group dedicated the last part of their performance to legendary Indian leader Mahatma Ghandi, as part of the independence celebrations.
